SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) – The New York State Military Museum is marking Flag Day with a free talk on the history of the Empire State’s battle flag collection and ongoing efforts to preserve the historic banners.

The state’s battle flag collection includes more than 2,000 flags associated with New York military organizations from the War of 1812 to the present. The collection includes 900 flags from the Civil War era, making it the nation’s largest publicly held collection of Civil War battle flags.

In 2000, the state parks office launched a preservation campaign for the flag collection. Textile conservation experts at the Peebles Island Resource Center in Waterford have preserved more than 500 flags over the past 15 years.

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